The way we celebrate

Today it was my husband's birthday. We've been celebrating birthdays for 27 years together.
I didn't get any birthday present for him this year because we'd been exchanging many presents besides on birthdays such as on anniversaries and many other celebrations.
I'd rather enjoy cooking something special what he likes such as Chinese, Indians and Japanese on his birthday. While I am busy cooking, he enjoys picking up a bottle of wine out of our collections, which goes well with dish for the day.
But today he suggested that we should try the Chinese restaurant in Marriott Hotel. Oh what a surprise. I wonder who is going to celebrate whose birthday! Whatever it is, that's how we went out. I should have brought a camera with me. Every dish was just beautiful and delicious. Since he basically doesn't have a sweet tooth, we skipped the desserts. Instead, after we came home, I opened a new tin of blended tea named "Happy Birthday" for him and served it along with some chocolate which our daughter brought back home from Finland for us. The "Happy Birthday" tea from TWG of Singapore is just perfect to celebrate his birthday. It has a good flavor of sweet red berries and vanilla blended with mild black tea. Happy Birthday, darling. We had a good time.

Wow, it's been more than a month !

Um, I didn't intend to be away from the blog for such a long time.
Things just made me a bit reluctant to write a story especially when I become busier than before. I wish I could have more than 24 hours a day.
Where shall I start then??? I tried to catch up things accordingly on time-line but it is hardly possible for me to do so after I neglected writing more than a month. Wow!

Writing a blog in English is not a piece of cake for me as you might know it is not my mother tongue and in Japan we don't necessarily need it in our daily life. But thanks to my childhood circumstances, I had always been absorbed in learning English as a door to learn something different, something new and to meet people from different cultures.

While I was away from the blog, I've been often twitting in the Twitter. I thought it was easier for me to keep writing since I only have to write in 140 letters. It was fun to talk mostly with English learning friends. Yet, I've realized that I'm not always contetded with it. I've got to express my idea regardless of 140 words. I missed my blog. So, here I am again to talk to you although I won't be a good blogger from time to time.
I'd really appreciate Dionne, who is such a charming woman and is always generous. She gives me an encouraging push to come back to this blogosphere whenever I am almost out of sight :) Thank you, Dionne.

Writing is another way for me to keep up with my English since I hardly have chances to speak up. So let's get started again.
Thanks everyone to read my awkward sentences.

I love vending machines!

You will see several kinds of vending machines along the streets or at any stations----almost any place. Well sometimes I feel annoying to see colorful vending machines even at very classical, historical sites in towns. Yet, we're counting on these machines. Vending machines for drinking are most popular and you'll be stunned to hear some new machines can speak when you insert coins and get your drink saying "Thank you"or"Come back again" or even" Take it easy". It's really funny.
See this video of three minutes on this topic.

And one of the main railway companies, which covers Tokyo area has recently set their high tech beverages vending machine at Shinagawa Station. This machines has a big display screen and when a customer steps close to it, it automatically shows a display of selling products in bottles and cans. What's more in surprise, it recommends a product judging from a customer's face, gender, age with its built-in face recognition camera! All you have to do is insert coins and touch the image you want.
Amazing! I love to "meet" this high tech vending machine and to get my drink hopefully sometime next month when I go to see my friends in Tokyo. Can't wait to see what kind of beverage this robot like machine will recommend to me.
The first day when this machine was set, many twitters uploaded pictures of this first machine which turned out be the focus of passers-by.

Different world of hobbies

a helicopter!

This is the world of Gundam, they say.

Whewwwww--------------

"Gundam" is a popular hero from a TV animated series.
It was first televised almost 30 years ago
and has been one of the greatest heroes among children since then.

Take a look what is going on.
It's only Japanese but you can get some hints from the images.

http://gigazine.net/index.php?/news/comments/20100724_real_grade_gundam_project_first/

by the way, for me Astro Boy is still my childhood hero!

Who is your favorite hero?

(photo by my son)

coming-home presents from India

Here are the short kurtas my husband picked up for me and my daughter from the shop "Fabindia". The bed spread in the picture is also from Fabindia.
This time he was kind enough to get something else besides tea from this country :)

Wagashi pleases our eyes

Here are the sweets I got from my favorite confectionery at the airport shopping mall yesterday.

Wagashi(Japanese small sweets) are formed into shapes to express the images of different four seasons. During the summer, every confectionery has their own way to express some faces of the hottest season using kudzu powder or agar powder. These ingredients create a transparent layer which adds some cool images of water and breeze which we admires in summer.

Just imagine what these three wagashi express the faces of the summer.
Since each wagashi is titled after some images of the season by the confectionery, here are the answers.
From the left to right:" physalis alkekengi fruit with the red husk","summer evening" and "the moon reflecting on a lacquer tray." Well what do you think? Before putting them into a mouth, they certainly please our eyes.

Again!

I'm here @ the airport to see my husband from India.So crowded.This time my daughter is here with me, blogging froma mobile phone,

Let me try out

At last here I am !
It's been almost a month since my past blogging.
I was once so busy, lazy, and sometimes not in a mood to update my blog.
All these reasons were true for my absence.
While I was away from it, I still wanted to inform my friends of myself.
Twitter might be, then, easier for me to keep uploading since all I have to do is to write within 140 letters. As a matter of fact, I'm not quite sure what twitter makes a sense when I have my blog at the same time. But never mind, at least, you will "hear" my occasional tweets and know what I'm doing even when I don't update my blog.
So here in the side bar, you will see my twitter widget. Just let me try out.

Where have you been for two months???

So, my friends, this is another story of swapping with Jeany from Germany.

It's such a nice story. I eventually received two packages from her.
Why?------- It's because the first one got lost on the way and Jeany was generous enough to send me another one although I told her I could be patient for the sake of our friendship.
She was so quick to make a decision about the second one. She didn't want me to wait for a missing package when no one knows whether or not it would be picked up and put it back on the right way. So this way, I received her second swapping package as a result.　
(See the previous blog)

And just about when we both have already given up the missing one, the postman rang the door bell and I saw him standing at the door with a package in his arm! What a welcoming surprise!!!
I checked the package on the spot to see if it got any damages. It was all right! It was really thrilling to open the box to find these lovely gifts she packed in almost two months ago-----tiny lovely all different tags, nice sensed soaps, a beautiful cartonnage and more. Some look familiar to me since she introduced some of her works in her blog and now these beautiful objects are here with me after they made a long journey. Isn't this exciting! I especially love her tag book with accordion pockets. Aren't they so neat!

(More images here)

I'm not a crafty type of person but I'm sure I'll try when I have more time to spare. It's really nice to get inspired by my blogger friends here. Every one I meet here has such a unique talent. They give me an inspiration and an excitement of creativeness.

Package across the sky

Here are the gift items Jeany has sent for me all the way from Germany.

Click here for more images!

How gorgeous! I'm so thankful and happy that she made every single goody by herself and was generous enough to send them to me in Japan.

She is such a talented woman who enjoys varieties of crafts especially her cartonnage are breathtaking. When I first saw her blog, I was just carried away to know how she made every part so carefully and patiently and finally so beautifully while it requires time and concentration before she completes.

Just coming across with her on the web is a great pleasure. Isn't it miracle that our paths crossed each other one day in the Internet world and now we are friends! This is something great about the blogosphere.
I love the sewing box. It's like a magic box. When you open it, you'll find a small one inside and it has many pockets as well on each four sides. How amazing and how delicately and carefully she went through all the steps. I love every item you sent to me. Look at the lovely European doll. She's so cute. You definitely showed me the excitements of handcrafting.
Oh, my, how can I be deserved with those presents. Thank you, Jeany. I do keep them for long.

Well, my friends, it's not the end of the story. There is more to say. I'll come back soon.